It was cold.
Dark, heavy clouds continued to loom high and intimidating above the Lonely Whale deep into the obsidian night. The storm never did die until the early morning when the clouds grew lighter and the sun barely peeked through the horizons. Slowly, the clouds drifted apart one by one, having finished offloading their burdens on the Earth beneath them.
Yet, the rain persisted, reduced to a slight drizzle that wasn't enough to soak immediately but was cold all the same.
In the dry confines of the dungeon, Jeongjo gradually woke to the steady yet soft drum of the raindrops falling onto the deck of the ship. Gentle shivers coursed through Jeongjo's veins as he peeled his eyes open to observe his surroundings.
Everything was the same.
The only exceptions were the blanket tucked between his body and his arm, and the dying rain pooling in the corridor of the dungeon he was in.
Enthralled by the soft pitter-patter of the dazzling rain, Jeongjo found himself stumbling towards the bars of the dungeon, where a thin beam of orange light lit his path towards freedom.
Behind the bars, Jeongjo inhaled deeply, relishing in the freshness of the rain that breathed life into him.
He loves the rain.
He loves the coziness it brings to his suffering.
In some sense, rain represents warmth to Jeongjo, for there was something about the way that the skies cried with him that brought a sense of hope to his desolation.
It was also in moments like this, where all was silent except for the steady hum of the drizzles muted by the roaring waves, when one becomes lost in contemplation.
Amid this contemplation, a single thought stood out to Jeongjo.
He was alive.
Truly, every day that he survived was a miracle.
He had been sure, with the way he had been shivering from the storm and the building infection in his gut, that he shouldn't have survived the night.
But something changed last night.
He remembered feeling cold; almost frozen to the bones. And then...it was warm; so warm.
As he dug deeper into the fuzziness of his memories of the previous night, the pieces quickly fell together and he realised...
She was here.
Whether she was aware or not, she had saved him again with one careless toss of the blanket that sheltered him from the worst of his pains.
The first time could have been a fluke, but the second was genuine. Just like that, Jeongjo was indebted to her.
Lost in his thoughts, Jeongjo didn't notice he had company until a quiet, low soprano voice infiltrated his musings, and he turned his head to see Yeo Wol standing there with the same piercing stare that seemed to bore straight into his soul.
"There's a better view out here." Yeo Wol spoke quietly, puzzled by the man's blatant refusal to set foot out of the dungeon when the door was ajar next to him.
Jeongjo blinked.
She did too.
And then, ever so slowly, Jeongjo took a step out of the dungeon and into the light.
Suddenly, they were face to face, as the Captain of the Northern seas and the Captain of the Southern seas. Yet, neither was aware of what fate had chosen for them nor the path that they would have to take in what would be the greatest test of their lives.
But for now, they were simply a man and a woman, very much affected by the existence of the other, yet too stubborn to embrace the dormant stirring in their hearts.
"Love at first sight" was merely a fable cooked up by those hopeless romantics that have yet to experience the displeasure that life was capable of bringing.
Neither Yeo Wol nor Jeongjo believed in that saying, and they certainly weren't looking at the other affectionately.
No, the way they were looking at each other was akin to a lion and a lioness prowling silently, circling their opponent with the intent to kill should things go south.
"I presume you're the captain?" Jeongjo's voice was rougher, gruffer, reflecting the strain of his close run-in with death.
"Yes." Yeo Wol acknowledged quietly. "I see you're familiar with the way we pirates function."
In response, Jeongjo coughed uncomfortably, momentarily breaking eye contact before he spoke again. "Inherited?"
"Pirates do not inherit a position. We fight to survive." Yeo Wol spat dryly, as the fire in her eyes flickered dangerously.
"So you fought someone," Jeongjo spoke matter-of-factly.
"It wasn't much of a fight if you asked me." Yeo Wol responded with an air of bitter nonchalance as she folded her arms in front of her.
What he said next shocked them both, for neither of them was prepared to face anything but hostility – not with how tense the air was between them.
"You're amazing." The words slipped out of Jeongjo's mouth before he could stop himself and a hint of awe could be seen on his face before his eyes widened in shock.
Eyes wide, the Captain was in a similar state of shock. Jeongjo cursed, flustered and positively blushing from his unplanned declaration. He was sure the tips of his ears were red, and he had to fight the urge to rub them since that would only draw unnecessary attention to his flustered state.
"How would you know that? You have never seen me fight." Yeo Wol barely concealed her stutter as she cleared her throat subtly.
Before, she would have been suspicious of his intentions of complimenting her. But judging by the way the man before her was clearly in shock too, she knew that what he said was unplanned and therefore, genuine.
Therefore, she was uncomfortable too.
Just like that, the barricades crumbled for the first time since they met. Rather uncharacteristically, Jeongjo found himself stepping closer to the Captain, having overcome his shock the minute her eyes met his again.
Neither broke eye contact this time, for they were very much aware of the palpable energy flowing between them; evident of the strange connection that they felt to the other.
"I see it in your eyes...the fire. That's all I need to know." Jeongjo spoke in a low whisper as though his words were far too delicate to be spoken out loud.
They were close; too close for comfort, in the tiny corridor leading up to the main deck of the Lonely Whale.
In such proximity, Yeo Wol could feel the man's breath fanning her face, and she had to remind herself to blink. It frustrated her that his eyes could draw her in so easily, yet she couldn't help but surrender to the devastating power he held in his eyes.
Eyes that were just like hers.
Guarded, determined, agonized.
"Now you're just overstepping your boundaries, mister." Yeo Wol spoke between gritted teeth, her voice low and warning as she took another step closer to him.
To intimidate him, or so she would claim.
But perhaps, deep down, she was simply drawn to him like a moth to a flame.
"I don't like that." Yeo Wol hardened her heart when she gazed directly into his orbs.
"My apologies for being truthful," Jeongjo stated plainly, although his voice was softer than it was before; tender even.
Up close, Jeongjo could see that the captain's eyes were not coal black as he had thought. Rather, it was a deep, chocolatey brown reminding him of the warmest of all autumns with its shedding trees and browning leaves.
His time on land was but a faint memory of his former childhood days, but the hidden softness in the captain's guarded eyes certainly stirred foreign feelings of warmth within him, and he felt his heart rate quicken slightly against his will.
He wasn't intimidated, he was enthralled; enraptured by her timeless beauty and the secrets in her eyes.
Similarly, Yeo Wol was observing the man's stature quietly. She had been accurate in her assessment of the man's physical assets, however, she couldn't deny the shock she felt from the way he towered over her as though he was shielding her from the weight of the world.
She wasn't intimidated, she was curious; lost in the way he held himself upright despite the injuries he had suffered.
It was noble; if she was being honest with herself.
Neither knew how long they remained locked in the other's gaze, but when reality finally hit, it came in like a wrecking ball.
Yeo Wol was the first to draw back from Jeongjo, choosing to widen the distance between them before more damage could be done. The captain closed her eyes momentarily in an attempt to compose herself although frankly, she was troubled by how fast her heart was beating.
The next time she opened her eyes, they were cold, distant and closed off to the world that had been unkind to her.
Once again, her walls were back up but she was safe; safe behind the protection that she had built for herself.
In a world like theirs, trust was a shallow sentiment – easily broken, easily swayed, and easily lost.
She had to stay guarded to save herself, no matter how affected she was by the man and his comforting gaze.
"I'm locking the dungeon. You are not going back in there again. Stop taking up the space for our actual prisoners." Yeo Wol snapped as she slammed the door to the dungeon shut.
The resounding clang echoed in the back of their minds even as Yeo Wol walked away from him; a jarring proclamation that whatever had transpired between them will never bear fruit in this lifetime.
And Jeongjo agreed.
Whatever it was between them, their lives were far from a fantasy.
Nothing can happen between them.
Ever.